Me and my group finished game 1 last night. We unlocked a couple things from crates and I wanted to make sure we are playing with them correctly.

Spoiler (click to reveal)

We unlocked guests. We shuffled the guest cards into the advancement deck so you can take them by using the market. Also, there was a building that the crate unlocked as well, and the building has the guest symbol as a benefit, so the assumption is you can take a guest by using the market OR the building that has the guest as a benefit? Or does using the building mean it "triggers" the guest benefit of taking a resource?

Spoiler (click to reveal)

We also unlocked robots. The player that unlocked them took one, and we placed the rest on the robot card in the general supply. The player also unlocked the building that has a robot figure as a benefit. Now my question is, on the robot card in the upper right corner is the advancement card symbol. Does that mean you can take a robot by using the market? Or can you only take one by using the building that has a robot symbol as a benefit?

If a building has a card symbol on it, you gain that type of card from the advancement board that is face up when you go to that building. It's #1 on Rule 7 if you have that revealed. It was unclear to us at first as well.

For question 2:

Spoiler (click to reveal)

Minions give you a certain reward when you place it or if someone else uses one of your buildings with that minion assigned to it. This is clarified on the bottom of the minion type card. So for robots- you gain a card from the advancement track when you place a robot or when someone uses the building your robot is on. The symbol in the top right is just s reminder as to the type of reward you get.

Also worth noting, your minions can only be placed in your charter (that's how you keep track of which belong to whom) and they can't be bumped when another, regular worker gets placed there.